SaaS Onboarding Processes

Invest in human-in-the-loop onboarding if you are a platform SaaS company. The value of human in the loop in onboarding customers on to "platform" SaaS products is under appreciated and under-utilized and quite contrary to the meme of AI everything. The fundamental premise is: adopting platform SaaS products involve not just a change in the tech-stack, but a change in the process of an organization itself. It is really hard for a product by itself to change an organization's processes. If you take a new all in one HR platform for instance: some part of the solution is eliminating inefficiencies in recruiting/hiring and compensation planning. Where you needed people before, you need fewer people and a different process. Some teams think that the product alone can help onboard the customer onto this complete people + tool change and end up with really poor activation rates. IMO that has never worked for anything more than a point solution SaaS product. The math on past platform companies that I have worked at to support this: - At Qualtrics - having a TAM (technical account manager) in an account led to 150%+NRR (and anecdotally, I have worked with some stellar TAMs with customers such as Adidas and Caterpillar and single handedly seen the impact to account adoption and expansion) vs 110% NRR on accounts without a TAM - At Apollo - having a 1:1 onboarding for accounts > certain threshold in ARR, ensured that we onboarded them on the "new way" of doing things, hooking up their CRM, etc, which led to nearly 40-50 BPS (literally 60% retention vs 110% retention) higher Month 12 retention than if not led with a human in the loop. For increasing activation rates & eventually NRR - divide up your customer base into ARR chunks and determine at what threshold do you want 1. 1 human:1 account , not just onboarding but also value realization at the end of a certain period of time 2. 1 human:many accounts, where onboarding happens in cohorts 3. In-product onboarding: for free users as well as a accounts below a revenue threshold, where the setup process is identical to what an onboarding rep would do. Over a period of time - maybe LLMs and agents could own this process (idea for a company?), but for now this is a vastly under-rated tactic, but something that always works.

I got to see behind the curtain of 100s of SaaS companies. here’s what the best ones had going for them: 1️⃣ Customer Success truly is Product's responsibility first. After analyzing hundreds of retention patterns, the truth became clear: companies that treated CS as a product function (not just a post-sale service) consistently outperformed their peers. The most successful products had customer success principles built into their DNA, not bolted on afterward. 2️⃣ Build advocacy triggers into the product journey. The SaaS companies with the highest NRR didn't just deliver value - they made it unmistakably obvious when that value was delivered. Every "aha moment" was clearly marked, celebrated, and designed to be shareable. Products that made users look good in front of their teams created natural advocates. 3️⃣ Onboarding friction predicts churn with shocking accuracy. We could predict retention rates just by analyzing the first 30 days of engagement. Every additional step, confusion point, or moment of hesitation in early adoption correlated directly with eventual churn. The most successful products weren't necessarily the most feature-rich - they were the ones that delivered value with the least resistance. 4️⃣ Cross-team expansion happens through champions, not features. After analyzing hundreds of expansion patterns, we found that additional seats and modules rarely sold through traditional sales motions. Instead, they spread through internal champions who became unofficial product evangelists. The best products deliberately created and empowered these champions with resources, recognition, and tools to drive internal adoption. 5️⃣ Transparency builds confidence that drives renewals. The SaaS companies with the highest renewal rates weren't hiding behind quarterly business reviews and sanitized metrics. They provided radical transparency into product usage, upcoming roadmap, and even their own internal metrics. This transparency built trust that became the foundation for long-term retention. Working with hundreds of SaaS businesses showed me that successful products aren't just built differently - they're operated differently. Product decisions cascade into customer success outcomes, creating either virtuous or vicious cycles that ultimately determine company trajectory. What patterns have you noticed that separate successful SaaS products from the rest?

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 “𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲.” But no one ever explains how. So let’s break it down. First, forget the word “value.” It’s vague. It’s subjective. It’s hard to measure. Instead, ask: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲?  • “More leads per week”  • “Faster deal close times”  • “Fewer security incidents per month” That’s your destination. But getting there might take weeks (or even months). So here’s the real key: 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 “𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁” 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲.  • First lead from your system  • First deal closed using your platform  • First security incident prevented through your product Because 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 is really just: 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁. And if you get that right — engagement skyrockets. Adoption improves. Churn drops. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: I worked with an ecommerce email marketing SaaS company. Their product helped brands drive more sales through email. Sounds clear, right? But many new customers spent their first month building social proof or welcome emails — the ones that don’t drive sales. So their first email sale? Didn’t happen for weeks, if at all. The result? High churn. 𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲: In the first 7 days, the entire onboarding focused on 3 steps:  1. Create a sales email campaign  2. Send it out  3. Make their first dollar Retention improved. Expansion grew. All because we shifted focus from features… to 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 “𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁” 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲? #customersuccess

When onboarding is complicated, adoption plummets. One of the biggest challenges vertical SaaS companies face when embedding payments is creating a smooth, intuitive onboarding experience.. I’m currently working with a vertical SaaS company to solve this exact problem. Here’s their current flow: 1. A customer indicates their desire to use the embedded payments solution. 2. They send the customer to Authorize.net. 3. The customer goes through a clunky registration process with zero visibility into what’s happening from our client. 4. When they’re done, they have to generate an API key and manually paste it back into our clients dashboard. At this stage, 90% of potential adopters drop off. How many business owners who just want to take credit cards know what an API is key is? Much less where to paste it and what happens next? I’ve seen this same pattern with Authorize.net, Stripe, and WorldPay — redirecting users into a separate, unfamiliar process without clear guidance. Who is Authorize.net to a non-fintech business? A stranger. Why should they have to figure out API keys just to get paid? They shouldn't. Meanwhile, there’s no status tracking, no abandonment monitoring, no pre-filled forms (even though the SaaS platform already has the merchant’s legal name, billing address, and key details). If SaaS companies want high embedded payments adoption, they need to own the onboarding experience. Make it seamless. And remove friction. Onboarding should be seamless: ✅ No unnecessary redirects ✅ No manual API key handling ✅ No re-entering data the SaaS platform already has ✅ Clear status tracking and abandonment monitoring Abstract the complexity away so customers don’t even realize they’re being onboarded.

The biggest mistake I see SaaS brands make with their onboarding: Focusing too much on features and not enough on outcomes. Your customers need to know what your product can help THEM achieve. Some tips to improve your onboarding process: ✅ Identify the key activation points that lead to long-term retention These are the moments when customers experience significant value from your product. Understanding these critical moments and guiding your customers towards them early in the onboarding process is crucial. ✅ Remove any unnecessary friction in your signup and setup process. Simplify every step to ensure a smooth experience from the start. Evaluate your signup forms and setup instructions. Are they straightforward? Can any steps be automated or eliminated? The easier you make it for customers to get started, the more likely they are to stay. ✅ Provide clear, outcome-oriented guidance at each step Instead of just showing how to use features, explain the benefits these features bring. For example, rather than saying “Use our analytics tool to track metrics,” Say “Use our analytics tool to gain insights into your sales performance and make data-driven decisions.” This helps customers understand the real value your product offers. Your onboarding should be laser-focused on helping customers reach their first success as quickly as possible. Early wins are crucial for building confidence and demonstrating value. You already have a key outcome your onboarding process aims to deliver. Now, ask yourself: How can you streamline that process even further to make it seamless and effective? Make your onboarding process more outcome-driven and customer-centric & you will significantly increase your customer retention and satisfaction. By the way, what challenges are you facing with your current onboarding process?

Acquiring Customers Is Hard. Losing Them Is Easy. Most businesses—whether eCommerce or SaaS—spend a fortune on ads, influencers, and outreach to get new customers.  But what happens after the first sale or sign-up?  For many, the answer is… nothing. And that’s why they struggle with retention.  Retention isn’t just about keeping customers—it’s about keeping them engaged, happy, and spending more over time. After 20 years in marketing, I’ve seen what works.  For Product-Based Businesses (eCommerce, DTC, Retail) 🔹 Personalized Post-Purchase Sequences – A simple “thank you” email isn’t enough. Instead:   ✅ Follow up with product care tips, how-tos, and customer stories.   ✅ Offer exclusive discounts or early access to new products.   ✅ Gather feedback to show customers their opinions matter.  🔹 Loyalty & Rewards Programs – Customers love to feel appreciated. The best programs:   ✅ Offer points not just for purchases, but also for referrals, reviews, and social shares.   ✅ Provide VIP perks—early access, limited-edition drops, or surprise gifts.   ✅ Focus on emotional loyalty, not just transactional rewards.  🔹 Subscription & Replenishment Offers – Make repeat purchases effortless.   ✅ Automate reminders for products they may be running low on.   ✅ Offer a subscribe-and-save model for recurring purchases.   ✅ Create exclusive subscriber-only benefits.  For SaaS Companies:  🔹 Onboarding That Reduces Drop-off – First impressions make or break retention.   ✅ Guide new users with interactive tutorials and milestone-based check-ins.   ✅ Provide immediate value—don’t overwhelm them with features they don’t need yet.   ✅ Use behavioral emails and in-app nudges to keep engagement high.  🔹 Community & Education – People stay when they feel invested.   ✅ Build an engaged user community (private groups, webinars, AMAs).   ✅ Offer ongoing education (courses, use cases, best practices).   ✅ Showcase real customer success stories to inspire further usage.  🔹 Proactive Customer Support – Don’t wait for churn to happen.   ✅ Identify users at risk (e.g., those who haven’t logged in for weeks).   ✅ Send personalized re-engagement campaigns before they cancel.   ✅ Provide live chat or dedicated support for power users.  Retention isn’t a one-time effort—it’s a strategy.  If your business is struggling with repeat purchases or high churn, it’s not just about your product. It’s about how you engage your customers after the sale.  How is your retention strategy working right now?  #digitalmarketing #technology #management #entreprenuership #marketing

Onboarding is the most critical part of client success. I spend 12+ hours to onboard every new client. Here’s why: 1/ Pre-onboarding call prep: This step involves preparing a dedicated workspace for a particular client. It’s one of my hidden secrets that clients absolutely love, because it makes the process 10x easier. Early on, during sales calls, I would often hear from clients that they don’t understand how things happen and how results are exactly generated. So I prepared a template where I give them visibility into each moving part and it has helped me retain more than 10 clients consistently. (Fun fact: Now they know why I charge higher than industry rates.) This simple step has helped me build immense credibility. 2/ One-hour onboarding call: To align on goals, strategy and on the approach, and any additional support that I can offer. Most clients are surprised to hear all of the extra things that I offer apart from the services that they have signed up for. I used to think that I shouldn’t go above and beyond, but underpromising and overdelivering is the easiest way to increase client delight. 🧚 3/ Post-onboarding call setup for success: This step involves creating a workflow that feels as smooth as butter (at least we try our best 😅). We also get clients to fill questionnaires that help us understand how to create unique positioning for them and their business, and it also serves as the foundation upon which we build the storytelling pillars. Note: If you’re a health tech startup, I’d love to chat with you. Nothing to sell here. Just a simple coffee chat :)☕️ #storytelling #contentstrategy #startups #growthstrategy #thoughtleadership

I’ve already had multiple conversations this week with buyers about this, so I figured it was worthy of a post: 👉🏽 It’s super duper important to invest in professional services and to be onboarded + implemented properly when buying new software for your business. This goes for many SaaS tools, but especially when it comes to complex solutions like Marketing Automation Platforms or Sales CRMs. I get it, budgets are tight. And the thing is, modern SaaS platforms tend to be relatively easy to use, for the most part. Which might be one of the reasons why many buyers don’t believe in the value of professional services, like a paid onboarding service. That being said, modern MAPs and CRMs are easy to use… but difficult to master. Especially getting it optimized the first time around. It’s easy to figure out HOW to do something. But what about figuring out if you SHOULD do it… Because, just because you COULD, doesn’t mean you SHOULD. There’s a ton of best practices to know about operating within a vast MAP/CRM platform and aligning your MAP/CRM instance to your business. It’s not just about knowing the features. There’s levels to how effectively a MAP/CRM is implemented. Don’t forget, you also have to effectively go about change management within your org and ensure end user adoption of the new SaaS tools too. HubSpot has run studies on activation rate (success rate) and churn rate of customers who do not get properly onboarded, versus those that go through and graduate from onboarding. You can probably imagine what those activation rate and churn rate numbers look like 😬 The cool thing is, if you’re in the market for a SaaS platform like HubSpot, there’s a big network out there of awesome Certified HubSpot Onboarding and Implementation Partners. I’ve seen some Partners do truly exceptional work for my customers. If you’ve worked with a great HubSpot Partner in the past, give them a shout in the comments below 🙂 . .